Combination-lock for motor-vehicles.



E. WAGNER.

COMBINATION LOOK FORy MOTOR VEHICLES.

APPLlCATlON FILED DEC. 14, 1916.

Patented my 17, 1917.

3 SHEETS-Enfer i.

E. WAGNER. COMBINATION LOCK FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. I4. 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

E. WAGNER.

COMBINATION LOCK FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED Dec. 14, 191s.

Patented July 17, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

EDWARD WAGNER,

:COMBINATION-LOCK FOB. MOTOR-VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 17, 1917.

Applicationled December la, 1916. Serial No. 136,930.

l citizen of the United States, residing at the city of St. Louis, in the State oil Missouri,

lhave invented certain new and useful line provements in Combination-Locks for Mctor-Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to prevent the stealing of motor vehicles, motor boats, aeroplanes, and the like, and for this 4purpose an imitation of the combination lock customarily found on safes, vaults, and the like is used in lconjunction with means for shutting ofi the flow of gasolene or other motive fluid when it is desired to lock the machine and to open the same when the owner` desires to proceed. y

In'the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification and in which like numbers of referencedenote like parts wherever they occur,

Figure 1 is a side elevation showing the combination buttons on the instrumentboard of a motor vehicle and one means for connecting the saine with the gasolene con*- trol;

Fig. 2 is a detail of the said combination buttons;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation illustrating a diHerent arrangement of combination buttons and their relation to the instrumentboard of a motor vehicle and a diderent means of connecting the same to the gasolene control;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional View through the lock valvedevice for controlling the gasolene flow;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line 5---5 in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view on the line 6-6 in Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is a sectional view of an alternative form of device for controlling the flow of the gasolene;

Fig. 8 is a sectional viewillustrating the principle of this inventionapplied to the control oi' electricity in an electrically-driven vehicle or boat;

FTLQ .illustrates the true combination in dieator';

Fig. '10 illustrates a superimposed arbi trary indicator;

Fig. ll illustrates the plate bearing the arbitrary combination indicator in position to cover the true combination indicator; and

Figs. 12, 13, and 14 illustrate another form of true and false combination indicators and means of coyering the true or permanent indicator by the false or movable.

For convenience of description, this invention will be described as applied to a motor-driven vehicle in whichA a liquid fluid such, for instance, as gasolene (although other fluids may be used) is used for motive power, although it will be obvious that this invention will be equally serviceable in locking motor boats, aeroplanes, and the like and electrically-driven vehicles, boats, aeroplanes, etc. This invention will be adaptable, also, for the same purpose if compressed gas be used as the motive fluid. lf for any reason it is desired .to lock a stationary engine from use, this invention can be applied thereto.

The gasolenc line l leads from the gasolenc source oi' supply to the carinireter 2, and is caused to pass through .the box 3, in which are located two', three, or more cocks 4 pierced by the passage 5. When the cocks 4 are turned to the position shown in full lines in Fig. 4 (which corresponds to the position shown in Fig. 5, also), tht gasolene line is open, so that the fluid Will flow to the carbureter; but when the cocks 4 are turned olf that position, the gas-sclene line ,is closed,v as indicated, for instance, by the position of the passages o shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4. The box 3 is interposed in the saidgasolcne Kline by the screw -threaded ends of the pipe being screwed into the screw-threaded sockets 6 in the wall of the box 3. The diameter of the passages 5, is the saine as the internal diameter of the gasolene pipe line, and as this diameteris not very great, a slight movement of one of the cocks 4 will cause nonregistration of the passage 5 contained therein with the rest of the gasolene pipe line. ciple of the device illustrated in Fig'. 7 is the same .is what has hereinabove been described. the only difference being that registration or non-registration of the passages 5 either with each other or with theou'tside parts of the pipe line is caused by the serpentine arrangement of the passages 5 and The prinnon-registration 'thereof when the said serpentine arrangement is disturbed by rotation cf the cocks 4.

' In Fig. 8, blocks I of any shape of in 4sulatiug material are substituted yfor the cocks 4 shown in the other figures, and are located in the line of electric flow between,

the cables 8 and 9, the ends of which are socketed in the said box 3. When open for the How of the electric Huid, the ends of the different parts of the conductor 10 register "in alinement and alloriT the electric How; but

a turn `of `one or more of the insulationA blocks 7 from the position shown in Fig. 8 will break the conductor and interrupt the flow of the electric current.

A plate. 11 sweated or soldered on the bottom of box 3 prevents readyand quick tampering with the nuts 12, which is enough in most cases to prevent theft of the vehicle `protected by this device, inasmuch as the time for getting the engine started and making o with the vehicle is -not long enough for dismemberment of the gasolene control` for that reason there are illustrated in Figs.

1 and 3 meansfor rotating from the combination buttons 14 on the instrument-board 15 the stems 18 ahd thereby the cocks 4 and insulator blocks 7. ln Fig. 1, three shafts 16 are connected by universal joints 17 to the three pitmen 18, which in turn are connected by the universal joints 19 to they stems 13. Rotation of the buttons 14 causes rotationof the cocks 4 by means of the said intermediate devices.

ln Fig. 3 is illustrated a different arrangement of combination buttons 14, the outer ono of which rotates the hollow shaft 20, the intermediate one of which rotates the hollow shaft 21 contained within the said shaft 20, and the inner one of which rotates shaft 22 contained Within shaft 21. rThe order of attachment of the said buttons to the said shafts is, of course, immaterial, and may be reversed or varied. Pinions 23 are operated by the said shafts 20, 21, and 22 and engage gears 24, and by said means rotate shafts 25, which are extensions of stems 13. Thereby cocks 4 or insulation blocks 7 may 'be rotated. p

By setting the combination buttons 14 at an oblique angle to the instrument-hoard, shafts may be run direct to box 3, the angle of which would in that event also be Lacasse changed, and there would be a directeacting straight shaft from the said buttons to the cocks 4 01' bloks 7.

While the drawings illustrate some parts as vertical and others as horizontal, it is to be understood that rearrangement of the parts in these respects and with respect to theyvarious angles at which vthey may be placed and their relative location With regard to each other can be greatly varied.

'The combination may be changed in case of need, as, for instance, in the case of change of employees. In the device illustrated in Fig. 3, this will be accomplished by removing one or more of the pinions 23 from the shaft or shafts bearin the sumo, and then turning the said sha t or shafts any desired.- distance, so as to change the realation of the partson the buttons 14. In

the device illustrated in Figs. 9, 10, and 11, the plate 2G bears one set of combination numbers that are visible, and the said plate y is countersunlr in the button 14 and covers 'a set of fixed combination numbers (see Fig. 9) that *unmarked within the Said counter-sink, `which are normally covered over [by the said plate 26. The set of combination numbers on plate 26 do not register with the same numbers in the set of combination numbers marked Within the said countersink. A" erson familiar with using the lock with t e combination that coul be operated by the set of numbers appeering on plate 26 would be at a loss to know how tov operate the same if by loosening the screw 27 and turning the late 26 a new relation had been established etween the true and the inner combinations.

. Figs. 12, 13, and 14.- illustrate a different mode of attaching plate 26 to button 14, the 105 same being here done by forcing flanged ring 28 upon button 14 so as to hold plate 26 in place.

It will be understood that the relation of the 'passages 5 or conductors 10 is fixed and 110 can be discovered by dismantling the line of fluid flow, removing box 3, opening the same, and removing nuts 12 and parts 4 or 7 and thereupon studying the relation of the connecting parts for fluid flow; but this is in general impractical, because the limit of time Within which the person who unwarrantedly desires to set the motor in operation has to work is as a rule too short to permit prolonged tampering with the lock or other manipulation of thev motor.

While the drawings illustrate and the description has referred to a plurality of com bination buttons 14, it will be understood that the combination worked by only one button or similar device will t0 a certain extent serve the purpose of this invention. lt, however, becomes more difficult to work the combination and more difiicult to defeat the purpose of this invention Where two v190 Leashes buttons andv corresponding parts are used. When thev combination is' further complicated by the use of three sets of parts, as

n str-ated in the drawings, the diliiculty ha beenl increased in geometrical progression :and to apoint Where it is practically impossible Within the time limit that needs to bel'fpvconsidered to defeat ythe purpose of this ifilvention.

It tyill be notedthat in the drawings the passages 5 are oil center (see Figs. 4 and 6), atthereby a more complicated combinationfifs produced, the same never registering for a through passage from end to end of box Siexcept When the combination has been exactly set. This is the location, also, of

conduhtors l0. If the same were through i the center of the parts 4 or l?, the connection would be established twice fin each rotation of a part 4s or 7 but set od center, as shown in the drawings, the passages 5 or conductors 1G will not register- With each other except when once in the rotation of each part 4C or 7 band when the next adjoining part 4 once in its rotation has been brought Ato the propei alineinent. 0n. account of the nature of the passages 5 shown in Fig. 7, registration` and" communication therethrough willfbeffected only once in the rotation of theIparts .ll and only When they ance with the combination so as to produce registration and communication.

Having thus described this invention, I

hereby reserve the benefit of all changes in form, arrangement, order, or use of parts, as it is evident that many minor changes may be made 'therein Without departing from the spirit of this invention.

.l claim: y

l. A motor lock comprising rotatable means for interrupting the flow of the motive fluid at spaced points, independently operable means for operating the same, a

button on each operating means having com-v bination numbers thereon, and an adjustably-mounted plate on each button arranged to. conceal the combination numbers on the latter and provided' with combination numbers adapted to be positioned to be out of registry with the numbers of the button whereby the position of each button may apparently be changed by adjusting the superposed plate vvithout, in fact, altering the position of said button.

" 2. An operating element comprising a portion having permanent characters there- 'on indicative of a xed combination 'anda comprising a stem and a head lined thereto; said head having permanent characters thereon indicative of a fixed combination, and an adjustable plate rotatively mounted with respect to said head and carrying characters indicative of a changeable combination. y

a. A device of the character described comprising a valve casing,a plurality of side by side valve plugs rotatively ,mounted therein, and a straight passage formed complementally through the casing and plugs and lying to one side of the centers of said plugs so that While a straight and unbroken passage is provided those portions 'of the passage in the several plugs Will register with the remainder thereof once only in a lrevolution ot said plugs and an actuating means for each of the valve plugs having means for indicating the positions of the plugs.

5. A device of the character described comprising a valve casing and a plurality of side by side valve plugs mounted to turn therein, said casing and plugs having a passage formed complementally therethrough, those portions of the passage formed in the several plugs extending inl a straight line through the plugs and those portions of the passages formed in the casing being so located that the passages in the plugs register therewith once only in a revolution and an actuating means for each of thevalve plugs having means for indicating the positions of the plugs. 6. A device of the character ldescribed comprising a valve casing and a. plurality passages in the casing once only during a revolution of the said plugs and an actuating means for each of the valve ing means for indicating the positionsoi" the plugs.

ln testimony whereof l hereunto radii: my

signature.

l EDWARD WAGNER.

yim lugs hav- 1 

